The people of Nazareth may have forced Jesus out of town because of their intolerance to new ways of thinking and resistance to change, a new book suggests.
This was driven by a staunch adherence to Jewish law and is also the reason the city wholly rejected Roman culture and influence.
Nazareth is the biblical home of Jesus Christ and it is written in the Bible that he was expelled from the city due to his teachings.
However, academics studying the area now believe this was not a personal vendetta, but rather the result of a deeply-ingrained way of thinking among the locals.
Items found at the site of modern-day Nazareth indicate its ancient residents rejected all external culture, which included Roman objects, religion and language.
However, the neighbouring town of Sepphoris was the polar opposite, wholly accepting Romans and even siding with them in times of conflict.
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The people of Nazareth forced Jesus out of town because of their intolerance to new ways of thinking and were resistant to change, a new book suggests. This was driven by a staunch adherence to Jewish law. Pictured, a tomb at Nazareth
Dr Ken Dark from the University of Reading conducted archaeological excavations at Nazareth and its surrounding areas – the first research of its kind.
In an upcoming book, called ‘Roman-period and Byzantine Nazareth and its Hinterland’, he writes that Nazareth today is the same town mentioned in scripture.
This assertion is based on a series of findings, including the fact the only surviving artefacts at Nazareth are ceramics and limestone vessels, likely made by local Jews.
By contrast, in neighbouring Sepphoris, which sits four miles north of Nazareth, physical remains indicate a mingling of various cultures.
Sepphoris was a major city at the time, but Nazareth itself was an important hub for the production of olive oil and wine as well as being a site for quarrying.
Sepphoris had strong links with far-flung corners of Eurasia and reflects a romanticised melting-pot city, Dr Dark found.
Meanwhile, Nazareth stoutly refused such influences, driven by its strict adherence to traditional Jewish practices.
Dr Dark says this ‘clear-cut cultural barrier’ is a unique example of the different approaches to Judaism in the region at the time of Christ.
Archaeological remnants were found alongside tunnels and hiding places at Nazareth that date back to the first Jewish Revolt between 66 and 70AD. Dr Dark believes these were likely created decades after the crucifixion by Jews who feared reprisals by Romans due to their Jewish faith
Sepphoris was a large city just four miles north of Nazareth which had strong links to far-flung corners of Eurasia and reflects a romanticised melting-pot city, which was rejected by the Nazareth natives, Dr Dark found
The archaeological remnants were found alongside tunnels and hiding places at Nazareth that date back to the first Jewish Revolt between 66 and 70AD.
Dr Dark believes these were likely built decades after Jesus’ crucifixion by the Jews, who feared reprisals by Romans due to their Jewish faith, The Times reports.
Sepphoris, however, which had clear signs of Roman influence, was known to have sided with the Romans during this tumultuous time.
This strict adherence to Jewish law could explain why Jesus was forced to leave his hometown, Dr Dark writes.
In the Gospel of Luke, it tells of Jesus speaking in a synagogue, before giving a speech to the locals.
After riling up the crowd by stating he was the one mentioned by Isaiah, is added ‘no prophet is accepted in his hometown’. The crowd inside the synagogue were angered by such bold proclamations.
Luke 4:29 – 30 says: ‘They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff.
‘[30] But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.’